Roasted chicken is one of my all-time favorite dishes. From the crispy skin to the savory and juicy meats, it’s just a perfect dinner in my eyes. Even better is when you roast chicken pieces. It’s super easy, and you can make just enough for your family without having to roast a whole bird. This is one of those great sheet-pan dinners. I added a salad and bread and it was perfect.

I took this recipe from Southern Living. and used one GIANT Chicken breast, and also reduced the amount of veggies. Friends, this is so good, I almost guarantee you will love it!! I roasted the Chicken with carrots and potatoes in the pan, too. You could change that out if your don’t care for one or the other. Butternut squash and red onions would be good, too!

Those crispy vegetables and the savory, juicy chicken are absolutely delicious!

BBQ Rub Roasted Chicken Breast

4 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, divided

2 (4- to 5-lb.) whole chickens – I used one large bone-in chicken breast

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved

1 (8 oz.) package baby carrots

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F. Stir together first 5 ingredients, 4 teaspoons of the salt, and 2 teaspoons of the pepper. Remove necks and giblets from chickens, and reserve for another use. Pat chickens dry.

I love using this thermometer that will alert me when the chicken has reached 165 degrees. I’ve been over-baking in the past for fear of having under-cooked chicken! Now the chicken stays juicy instead of drying out! I found it at Williams and Sonoma. It’s become a favorite kitchen tool!

Prepare ahead tips: This would be an easy dish to prepare ahead of time. Prep the chicken with the oil and rub, then cover and refrigerate. Cut up the veggies and put in a bowl of water, but don’t add them until just before you put the chicken in the oven. You’ll have dinner in the oven in minutes by simply draining the vegetables and drying with paper towel, then adding the oil. Place the chicken on the pan and place into the oven! Bake. Enjoy!

This recipe will be on a regular rotation at our house! Hope you’ll try it!

When was the last time you went to the grocery store or Sam’s Club and picked up one of these rotisserie chickens from their deli? Recently a friend brought one to me at a busy time and it was such a blessing!

They are usually about $5 and are a great easy, delicious meal straight from the container. You might slice the meat and serve:

Potato Salad
Green Beans
Salad

It’s a wonderful busy night dinner.

However, if there are only two or three, you’ll have leftovers, but probably not enough to serve slices of meat again. What do you do with the remains without wasting it? I have a couple of ideas to help you get the most out of that $5 bird! Last week when I had that chicken, here is all the ways that it provided for us –

Chicken Salad – If you have enough white meat left, you could mix up the ingredients for lunch tomorrow! This made for a delicious lunch!
Add:

White meat Cubes

Grapes

Pecans

Celery

Dressing – I mix together

Mayo

A little sour cream

Cinnamon

Served on bread or crackers, it totally transforms a rotisserie chicken into a whole new meal.

Chicken Pot Pie – You can use white meat, dark meat or a combination of both. It only takes 1 1/2 Cups of chicken – or you could use 1 cup and add more veggies!

I make a low-fat version of Chicken Pot pie that is equal to any high fat version!

Don’t be afraid to alter the vegetables to what your family likes. Changing that will not change its deliciousness!

Spray a cold medium saucepan with nonstick coating. Add mushroom and onion. cook and stir over medium heat about 4 minutes or till the onion is tender but not brown.

Meanwhile reserve 1 tbl of the milk. Set aside. In a small mixing bowl gradually stir the remaining milk into the flour till smooth. Stir into vegetable mixture in the saucepan. Stir in the water, bouillon granules, sage, marjoram or thyme: and pepper. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Stir int he frozen peas and carrots and chicken.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or till the chicken mixture is heated through and the pastry is golden brown. Makes 5 servings.

This pie is so good, friends! You could even assemble it and pop it into the freezer for another day!

Now, at this point I had stripped most all of the meat off the carcass. Was it ready for the garbage? No! DON’T THROW THAT CARCASS IN THE TRASH CAN YET!! There’s one more GREAT WAY to use that chicken!

Chicken Stock – No need to purchase cans or boxes of this in the store if you have a chicken carcass in your fridge!

Here’s the recipe and method I use to make chicken stock. Let me add one more thought – I have learned that it’s even easier to make it in the crock pot so I don’t have to babysit it. I do the very same thing, only pop it into the crock pot and cook it all day long. The house smells amazing and I have about 8-10 cups of chicken stock when it’s finished! Look how rich that broth is!

I pour it into small baggies, then put them in a large Ziplock bag and freeze them.

The possibilities are endless, and also so convenient because the chicken is already cooked. You know, you might even consider buying TWO rotisserie chickens just so you can make so many great meals so easily!

When was the last time you enjoyed a rotisserie chicken? What else do you do with yours?